The present invention relates to garment hangers and, more particularly, to garment hangers having sizers coupled thereto. Garment hangers are often provided with size indicators, also known as sizers, for providing indicia relating to the size or type of garment hung on the hanger, or other information. Such indicators are often in the form of small U-shaped tabs that are clipped on the hanger body. A common location for securing a size indicator to a hanger is a web portion of the hanger formed between the bottom end of the hanger hook and the top of the hanger body. Typical prior art arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,115,940, 5,096,101, 5,199,608, 5,238,159, 5,305,933, 5,383,583, 5,407,109, 5,441,182 and 5,449,099.
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the mentioned U-shaped size indicators are typically formed of plastic, and are designed to be secured to a hanger in a substantially non-removable manner, thereby reducing the likelihood that such indicators may be inadvertently removed from the hanger. The desire to couple the size indicator to the hanger in a non-removable manner typically increases the cost and complexity of such prior art indicators. Moreover, these prior art indicators are often times clipped to the hanger in a manner which allows the indicator to “wobble,” which can detract from the overall aesthetic appeal of the hanger. It will be further appreciated that the very same design which increases the difficulty of removing the indicator from the hanger also increases the installation force required to install the indicator on the hanger body thereby rendering assembly more difficult and costly. Finally, it will be appreciated that any reduction in the usage of plastic is viewed as having a positive impact on the environment.
There is therefore a need in the art for a hanger/sizer combination which provides a less complex and costly design, which allows for ready assembly of the components, which reduces the environmental impact through decreased usage of plastic, which is more child friendly, and which provides increased flexibility for printing of indicia/graphics on the sizer.